EatingOxford: 3 Steps to Success at 3 Blind Wines

September 28, 2017

I’ve been attending the annual 3 Blind Wines event since it began in 2010, always with a keen eye on the top prize of a cellar full of wine.

I’ve switched up my teammates from fellow foodies to my best friend to my husband. I’ve even thoroughly studied and dissected my wine (this just means drinking the wine repeatedly throughout the day before the event, for those who may be wondering).

One time my team was only two votes away from winning; two votes! Another time, one of my co-workers won. The next year, one of my favorite local chefs won. Last year, my dentist won!

The truth is, I’ll be OK if I don’t win this year. I love this event simply because it’s so much fun to try dozens of wines, find new favorites, eat cheese, listen to music and just mingle with a bunch of folks who love to have a good time.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ll still be taste testing every mysteriously brown-bagged wine in a fun but futile effort to identify my team’s entry; I encourage you to do the same.

3 Blind Wines returns to The Powerhouse on Tuesday, Oct. 10, from 6 to 8 p.m.

Follow these steps to ensure a truly memorable evening:

Step One: Purchase your team tickets at the Powerhouse Community Arts Center by calling 662-236-6429 or online at www.oxfordarts.com. Tickets for 3 Blind Wines are $40 per couple/team ($45 for nonmembers) or $100 per couple/team if you’d like a sommelier to take care of your wine selection for you ($110 for nonmembers).

Step Two: Once your ticket is secured, purchase three bottles of your favorite wine (red, white, sparkling, anything you like) from a participating local wine shop (participating stores include Star Package, Kiamie Package Store, Magnolia Wine & Spirits and High Cotton Wine & Spirits Warehouse). Show them your ticket info, and they’ll deliver your wine to The Powerhouse in time for the event.

Step Three: Arrive at The Powerhouse at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 10. Trust me when I say that you will need the full two hours if you want to sample most of the wines. There will be a lot.

Bonus Tip: There’s usually a good number of red wines at this event, so if you don’t want red teeth in your selfies, plan ahead.

“You don’t have to know anything about wine except what you like,” said Wayne Andrews, director of the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council. “It’s as if you went to a wine shop and had the chance to sip from every bottle before you made your choice.”

During the event, you’ll enjoy live music, a gourmet cheese tasting table and numerous prize giveaways. At the close of the evening, you’ll vote for your favorite wine, with the team who brought the crowd-favorite taking home a bottle of everyone else’s wine.

Liz Barrett Foster is the EatingOxford editor for HottyToddy.com, an award-winning business journalist and author of the recently published Pizza: A Slice of American History. Liz ran the popular restaurant information site EatingOxford.com from 2009 to 2015. Liz can be reached at liz.foster@hottytoddy.com.